Many business-related processes depend upon the execution of pre-defined tasks. Computers and other automated systems are applied to automating a number of these pre-defined tasks, handling such aspects as: identification and allocation of resources; time management; inventory control; accounting procedures; etc. Systems dedicated to the definition, execution, management, and monitoring of such business processes are generally referred to as Process Management Systems (PMSs). When the process is used to compose (i.e., orchestrate the execution of) web services, then PMSs are also called “Service Composition Engines”. The term PMS as used in this document refers to both systems executing business processes and to systems composing web services.
A process management system makes at least two determinations for each step in a business process: the services or specific procedures required; and the resources needed to perform them. Under this context, resources include, for example: personnel; office machinery; forms and other printed matter; computer hardware; software applications; third-party services (i.e., shipping contractor; technical consultant; etc.); consumables; etc.
Generally, a resource will be assigned to several pending activities, representing numerous different processes. For example, an administrative employee may have to process several travel reimbursement requests, to book hotels for visitors, arrange meetings, and so on. Thus, any given resource is likely to have involvement in several different tasks concurrently. Within current Process Management Systems, personnel can choose the order in which they process activities assigned to them, or, in the case of an automated resource, will perform the assigned tasks on a First Come, First Served (FCFS) basis.
The inherently arbitrary order in which personnel may choose to perform (or avoid) assigned tasks often leads to poorly prioritized execution of that task, sometimes to the extent that deadlines are missed, or unnecessary time and cost burdens are assumed in meeting the deadline. Such burdensome, “hurry-up” situations can also lead to sacrificing service quality or missing other deadlines, having a compounding effect on other assigned tasks. The first come, first served nature of automated systems can lead to similar inefficiencies and missed deadlines, for example, if several relatively low-priority tasks are completed before a longer-duration, relatively high-priority task, simply because of their order within the work queue.
Attention is directed to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/860,230, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0174093, filed May 18, 2001, titled “Method of Identifying and Analyzing Business Processes from Workflow Audit Logs”, listing as inventors Fabio Casati, Ming-Chien Shan, Li-Jie Jin, Umeshwar Dayal, Daniela Grigori, and Angela Bonifati, which describes workflow management systems and workflow audit logs, and which is incorporated herein by reference. Attention is also directed to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/464,311, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0105658, filed Dec. 15, 1999, titled “Custom Profiling Apparatus for Conducting Customer Behavior Pattern Analysis, and Method for Comparing Customer Behavior Patterns”, naming Qiming Chen, Umeshwar Dayal, and Meichun Hsu as inventors, and which is incorporated herein by reference.